203 comments:

After a succesful debut season, TSF Academy will expand their US Soccer Development Academy program to now include teams at U12, U13 and U14 age groups from Fall 2017.

The Development Academy Program focuses on positively impacting everyday club environments to assist in maximizing youth player development across the country. The Development Academy values individual development of elite players over winning trophies and titles. The Development Academy sets the standard for elite environments for youth soccer clubs nationwide and is a part of U.S. Soccer's global leadership position in youth soccer that will impact thousands of players.

From first being accepted into the US Soccer Development Academy in January 2016, TSF Academy have invested heavily and placed huge emphasis on player development and providing the best possible environment for all our players.

TSF Academy are highly honored and proud to be given the privelege by US Soccer to continue providing the opportunities to our players to compete and develop at the highest level.

Director of Coaching, Luis Mendoza, described the expansion as, "a great honor for all our players and coaches for all their hard work and commitment over many years. The players have shown great energy, enthusiasm and desire to improve, and this is just reward for all those efforts."

TSF Academy will be hosting initial player identification sessions for all Development Academy teams in February. For more information on the process, or to pre-register online, please click here:

All players wishing to attend these sessions must pre-register online and receive an official invitation before attending.

Huge emphasis on player development from TSF? That's a laugh. Your club only cares about winning at all costs, teaching kids about professional fouls and giving other kids 5 minutes of playing time or none at all. Your club has turned so many enthusiastic kids away from the sport.

I don't know Cedar Stars so I wouldn't comment but I do have experience with TSF. If your son is treated well, you must be considered a VIP customer by the owner. I was not and my son paid the price for that. They are unprofessional and unethical and BTW, I got a full refund because they could've been sued for breach of contract. I know other parents were very upset by the way TSF treated them.

Cedar Stars does not have a win at all cost at mentality, and that is because they don't win much. With the exception of a few younger teams, most Cedar stars team are in the middle of the pact. Just take a look at their Academy teams.

If you want your kid to play at Cedar Stars, make sure he/she is either very good or your you as the parent become friends with the coaches. Being friends with the staff at Cedar Stars will get you a long way.

I would like to ask a couple of questions:My belief is that any DA team will generally have 3-4 kids that really stand out above everyone else, then you have this large middle group of kids, and then there are a number of kids at the lower end who just are not at the same level as their teammates. I think you will find this on most youth teams as well. (NOTE: I am not one to be critical of any kids that may be at the lower end of their DA team, as I know there are late bloomers, both in physicality and in the development of their own game).

1. My question is, what really makes a DA player stand out above other non-DA club kids? What are they looking for? If you believe what I wrote above as I do (and have witnessed the same over a number of years), then you could take that large middle group, and fill those spots with other high performing kids at non-DA clubs (fill in the blank with your favorite club: TSF, MF, whatever) and you wouldn't notice a big difference.

BTW, I still believe if Messi grew up in the US, he would have been overlooked until his maybe his mid to late teens. I still see these really physical kids with what I call mid level skills at some DA clubs. Isn't this all about development? Reminds me of the basketball adage - you can't teach height, or in soccer's case, big strong fast.

2. This question, I will make a generalization, so please everyone do not be offended. If you look a the standings at the end of every year, you will tend to see certain DA clubs that are near the bottom. Seems like year in - year out, they are at or close to the bottom. Would you want your kid to leave his highly ranked non DA club to go play for a DA team that doesn't seem to do all that well against very good DA competition? What do college coaches think about that? I mean, I know it's about development, but it has to have some results, no? I guess you get to go to the showcases, but will coaches go and watch your team play in some consolation bracket vs watching, say an DC Dallas team playing Seattle Saunders academy in the playoffs? (I know the playoff system is only for those teams that qualified.). I suppose some lower level D1 programs can't always get the superstars, so maybe that's where they go?

I get the whole DA track to potential professional soccer and national team placements, and it certainly isn't the only path to D1 soccer and beyond - but I know you get lots of coaches to these showcase events, so it helps. Just trying to see if it's worth it to go that route.

Ok, so I posted the last comment on March 27, at 10:37 pm, but I hadn't read much of the prior comments before posting. So I did learn a few things. I understand that a poster's particular treatment by a club will not be uniform, but I can say that I personally know several kids who played at TSF and absolutely HATED how they were treated. I don't understand their philosophy of giving a kid 5 minutes in one game over an entire weekend, after he has flown all the way to Dallas or whatever tournament you are playing in. It's clear they are just interested in having people pay $$$ for training. I find that absolutely horrendous behavior.

The owner caters to his VIP customers and gives their kids plenty of playing time. It doesn't matter to them if there are other kids deserving play time on the bench. My son wanted to play so badly and they kept telling him not to worry, he'll get his chance. He waited all season for a moment that never came. His confidence and enthusiasm were crushed. He was never the same player after that. The coaches are total muppets and just do what they are told. What a disgrace!

I am not trying to be mean on what I am going to say. I also understand that the favoritism runs across all clubs from the Red Bulls to TSF. But why take a kid to a club knowing he is not going to get much playing time. As a parent, you should know what level your son/daughter is playing at and you should also know the level of the team your kid is trying out for before you go there. I am not taking the side of the Club/team, but a lot of parents want their kids to play for TSF, Red Bulls, PDA etc... because of the clubs name and maybe the kid is not at that level. Le me ask you this question, if your kid was in the starting 11, playing lots of minutes or even if the kid was number 12 or 13 on the roster would we even be having this discussion. Think about that.

I disagree with your comments. Parents love to say that your kid is a bad player so what do you expect? First of all, a kid tries out for the team, makes it, and you trust the club that they will do everything to help your kid develop and agree to pay them over $3000 for this service. After all, you have a contract stating that playing time will be spread evenly for EDP games and tournaments. What could go wrong? When he tried out, the coach told me he loves how he plays and wants him on the team. He was doing well at his previous club but this seemed like a better opportunity. And yes, we would still be having this conversation whether he's a starter or not. Why do subs pay the same as the kids who play all the time? Think about that. Except , of course, the kids who can't afford the price tag so have financial scholarships. Maybe that's why the coach wanted my son on the team, so he could meet his budget. I know for a fact that there were several players on that team paying $0 and guess what? They were starters. A player who is never given a chance to play in games will never develop at the same rate as the player who gets lots of playing time. I thought PDA was fair with playing time but we left because they were 40 miles away. I should've stayed because TSF was a terrible experience. Some parents may want their kids to play there but I'm not one of them and I will never recommend them to anyone.

I know the reputation TSF carries, and it is not a good one. Also, PDA is the same as TFS, don't think they are any different. But at the end of the day, if they told you equal playing time (or spread evenly), they are lying. No coach can guarantee equal playing time.

At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, how good is my kid? Does he deserve to be a starter? Many parents seem to think that, but in reality, that is not the case.

It sucks to drive to a game an hour away and have your kid only play 15/20 minutes. That happened to my kid when he was younger, but you know what. I did not complayin, I understood that he was the newest and youngest player on the team and I went out found him some extra training on the days he did not have practice and I also trained him myself when I could. Next season my son became a starter on that team and since then he has not seen the bench on any team he has played including an academy team.

Try 5 min or less. It wasn't only my son. It was the same 6 or 7. They all left that club and those kids will always remember what TSF did. All TSF's tournaments are more than 1 hr away with hotels and meals also. Do you think it's ok for a coach to ask a parent to go knowing your child won't play? He even expected him to fly to Dallas. So you think it's acceptable that he lied? Not only to me and there's no accountability? That's not what children should learn. Defend TSF all you want but they have no integrity.

What makes a DA player stand out from a non-DA player? What are the DAs looking for in a player?

And would it make sense to leave a highly ranked non DA club to play with a DA club that isn't very successful year in/year out?

To me, DA means the rare track to national team and professional ranks, with college as Plan B. But I still think Plan A is only for a handful of kids, even in a market like the size of the tri-state area.

I don't think the DA player neccessarely stands out more, there are a lot of extremely good players playing club. The difference is that they hold the DA league with high standards.

As per leaving a high non-DA club for a DA club. I'd say that, if your non-DA club is the Baltimore Celtic 99 (which has 5 players already committed to DI UMBC and few to other DI schools) or Match Fit 98 ( which half of their squad is already committed to DI schools) or a club/team like that, I'de say stay with them. These club/teams are getting more DI commitments than some of the academies. There is also no point moving to a DA academy if your kid is going to sit on the bench. A lot college coaches, specially on (smaller, or no big name soccer schools) will rather pick from a high ranked non-DA club then academy.

First of all, I am not defending TSF, everyone knows their reputation. The truth is that, if your kid or any of the other kids were starters on the team we would not be having this conversation.

The problem with TSF, PDA, Parsippany and etc... Is the fact that they select 24 players to play in one age group and only have the intention of using only about 14 of those players. Any club you got to, even the local club (those that are competing at high level), if you are 15 on the roster or below the playing time is going to be scarce, everyone knows that.

The fact is, that a lot of parents want to say that their kid is playing for TSF, PDA, Parsippany and etc... when in reality, little Johnny does not belong there.

Yeah, TSF probably makes a profit because of the fees they charge, even their uniforms are really expensive but their reputation is pretty bad. I've heard so many complaints about them. Even coaches routinely leave that club.

Check the roster on the top Parsippany teams and tell me if most players are from the town. Also, some of Parsippany teams are playing on the top level tournaments and leagues and parents gravitate towards that.

Been through TSF and agree they are terrible. Although my child was one of the top players and received plenty of play time I just don't like how they do business. My child is in the younger age group (U12)and I don't think they focus as much or know how to develop the younger kids.Very expensive and I don't think you get what you pay for. They are a revolving door for players and coaches are not sticking around as well. They are very disorganized

Spoke with a DA parent about my questions. His responses were somewhat enlightening, and as some mentioned, what I expected.If you take the top 3 kids (making a generalization here) on a DA team that really stand out above the rest, most of the rest fall into that middle group. Same technical skills as non DA club kids, but the DA plays just a little bit quicker, the speed of play.

Definitely leave a DA team if you aren't playing. But don't leave your highly ranked non DA club for DA if you are already getting decent playing time. As mentioned previously, there are non DA clubs (I think Baltimore Celtic and MF '98s were mentioned) getting lots of kids to D1 college soccer.

One last line about TSF, I don't understand what US Soccer or TSF are thinking, by being a DA club for U12-U14, you expect those kids to stay around after U14? They will lose those top 3 kids to some other DA team and then you are back to a better than average team.

Re Parsippany, we all know the talent pyramid narrows significantly in 9th grade, and Parisppany is one of those clubs (town or not) that benefits and gets some decent players. (Holmdel might be another example.) Maybe not as much as some of the larger top non DA clubs in the state, but they are competitive. (Ignoring any vagaries from one age group to another)

After having listened to a few college coaches, most of them will tell you that they rather take an academy player than a club player for the most part. Unless the player comes from one of the power clubs like Match Fit, Baltimore Celtic and etc...

I was at a college camp with my son and one of the coaches mentioned that if you are playing academy you have a step up on the competition in term of getting recruited. Which I agree for the most part.

To GD;I speak as a new parent in the DA as my son is a U12. My hopes for him would be an opportunity in college, with a D1 or D2 scholarship, playing at a high level. I think most DA parents feel the same. There certainly are parents who think their kid should be shuttled off to Europe, but I think for the most part (with exceptions for sure) most parents are fairly realistic. I know things get more intense in the older DA age groups, as kids start getting scouted for college or beyond and rosters and play time become a major issue. You cannot get seen while sitting on the bench. My son is only 11 but for us, it has been a very good experience so far. Time will tell what the future holds. It's a very competitive soccer bubble out there.

If your son is playing DA at the moments the opportunity to play college will come as he is on the right path. As per a scholarship, I would start saving for college if you are not already. Scholarships available for DI are 9.9 divided among many unless your son is a national level player or just below he will not get a full ride. Very few players get scholarships to DI. As per DII, can you name me a DII school that everyone talks about as being highly academy institution, I can't? So don't leave out DIII schools as some of them play better soccer than DI/DII and are also they are better academic institutions.

Good Luck and enjoy the younger ages groups in DA. It is a whole new world when they reach 15 and become sophomores!!!

My son plays on one of the high level teams at TSF. He joined TSF about 2 years ago. He has had a very positive experience. Luis Mendoza has really helped his development and confidence as a player.

I've seen a lot of negative comments about TSF on this board. I don't discount any of them. It is clear that some have not had a good experience. I just want to add some balance and let others know that, at least in my case, going to TSF has been good for my son.

I'm sure you notice players on that team who get 5 min or less playing time in games. That's humiliating for a child who's at every practice session working hard. It leads to bullying and teasing from other team members. And please don't say those kids suck and have to get better. Mendoza told me he awards kids playing time to please parents. He listens to parents too much.

If it so bad at TSF, leave the club, just remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Cedar Stars, PDA have the same issues with coaches. Kids need to step up when the going gets tough because this is not going to be his only disappointment in life.

My kid was a starter for a team the whole pre-season but when the season actually started he was benched for the first 3 games and he could not understand why. So I told my son, besides the fact that your card wasn't ready until the second game, I am not sure why the coach choose to bench you at this point, but I believe that if continue to work as hard as you been and prove it once get your chance in a game, it will work out at the end. In the third game he was put in at the 20th minute and after that, he started the rest of the season.

If your kid has what it takes he will win at the end. Just keep incuruging him to work harder and do better. If he is good the coach will see that and start giving him more minutes.

Responding to the guy who's response is toughen up. Sure, that's certainly a life lessen.But tell that to a 12 or 13 year old kid who goes to every practice, fall and spring season, hardly plays in any games except once in a blue moon and then he gets 2 minutes of garbage time at the end of some meaningless game. Then, parents buy tickets to Dallas for the tournament, and he gets 5 minutes of total playing time? Seriously? How about telling the parents that you are keeping a limited bench, and no need to fly? I'm sure the former TSF coach now at Cedar Stars continues to destroy the love of the game for many. This is about communicating properly and this club and that coach lack this skill and any decency whatsoever. USSDA has specific rules on playing time, starting time, etc. Don't understand why USSDA chose these guys when they clearly do not demonstrate it. Then again, it's all political.

Of course, everything is sunny when your kid starts. But its really about how you treat people. Most of the people who commented, they and their kids were treated horribly. My kid doesn't play there, but he has had friends go and have such terrible experiences. Anyway, I don't want to type about TSF anymore because it's a waste of f@#%#^ing time.

Parents aspiring for your kid to go D1 via scholarship? Well, 9.9 scholarships divided by how many players on that roster, that full ride ain't happening unless your kid is nat'l team level. Good luck to all.

Also, hope Sascho Cirovski and the other NSCAA coaches can really fix college soccer, going from a fall season into a 2 season sport. That would help development tremendously. But you also need to get these college coaches to train/play the right way.

Thanks GD. A parent who understands what I'm talking about. I hate hearing smug parents say kids have to work harder and toughen up. Sometimes there's nothing you can do, the coach is emotionally and mentally abusive to a young boy. Management does not care. You leave the club but the damage is done and your child will never be the player he could have been. The coach destroyed the most important thing. Love of the game.

"Understand what I am talking about". We all understand and we know that TSF is crap, and they are not the only ones. At the end of the day, if your kid were starting or were the first kid off the bench we would not ben having this conversation.

Not every kid is ready to play high-level club or academy. Maybe, playing in a good local club suits your kid best.

You're a very ignorant person who needs to learn about youth development. The frauds that call themselves development academies take these kids after multiple tryouts. And your trying to blame the parents of those kids? If the kids didn't make the team, you have a point but don't blame the victim. Academy players are high level, that's why these players go to those teams. Don't think you know everyone's situation .

I know these academies are fraud, everyone knows that. It is not about development it is about winning with these academies. Also, I am not trying to blame the parents and I don't know your situation. I am sorry that this coach promised you and your kid the world and did not deliver. Remember, college coaches are the same way, they promise kids and parents everything and that is how they get the a kid to commit to their program.

What I do know and what you need to understand is that playing time is earned and not by showing up to practice or paying thousand of dollars to these so-called academies but by playing better than the other players on the team.

I have coached for many years and I never promised or guaranteed any parent playing time for their kid nor I never left a kid on the bench that deserved to be on the field. Bottom line, show me that you are better than the 11 players on the field and will be playing.

OK Coach you're the all knowing coach just be a positive influence in these kids lives. You're a role model for them and are teaching life lessons. A good coach wouldn't take a huge roster for financial benefit and then not play those kids. You pick them, you play them. Ever hear of the 25% start rule for academy teams? You don't have an academy team if you're not doing that.

These coaches and Academies are scum bags because like you said it is all about the money. Bringing your kid to a tournament and only playing him 5 minutes.

That 25% start rule for the academy is bull shit because most Academies don't follow the rule, also if you understand that rule all it really means is that the coach starts a player and 10 minutes later takes him out. Now that player cannot get back into the game anymore. So I just played the worst player on the team and at the same time satisfied the rule and only gave that player 10 minutes playing time. So at the end of the season, that is not a lot of playing for that player.

I have been watching the US U17 team play and they have had great success, defeating Mexico last night, as well as winning the Nike Friendlies. I really think the disconnect in the US system is college. If they could change the college season to fall and spring, like the DA and the other youth leagues, that would really help their development, and thus, improve the quality of our players and our pro leagues. Would love to hear other thoughts or comments. GD

Wow, as a parent with a soccer-loving kid (2006) moving into the area (Essex County), reading this blog is pretty depressing. We love his current DA club in CT. Aren't there any programs that are mostly well-liked and respected? We've been looking at CSA Bergen, TSF, RBs, and Montclair United/Match Fit. Accepted at CSA and MU/MF and waiting to hear from TSF. I got to see my son in 2nd stage tryouts for the free RB weekly training for 2006s today and, while he held his own, he was not one of the few top standouts, IMO. My goal for him at this stage is for him to develop his skills as best he can and maintain a love for the game. Is he better off being one of the top players on a good club team, getting a lot of playing time, or middle of the pack at one of the DAs?

I think it depends on what you feel is best for your son. My son is an 05 who has played in the U12 DA this year. His speed of play and technical as well as tactical ability has greatly improved. Is it always awesome?...no. It's competitive and can be a grind (4x/wk practice). Your child (and parents) have to be all in. It's a commitment. Keep in mind, as kids get older, the harder it becomes to break into academy teams. CSA Bergen a solid choice. RB obviously hard to turn down, but hard to get selected, best of the best there. Good luck... from a (new)DA mom

Agree. There is no effort to develop the B teams at PDA. You pay the same price and only train twice a week, and do not participate in tournaments. The excitement of participating in at least some tournaments is a good confidence booster. Better off finding a club team with a good trainer.

Important Issue here. College coach keeps sending my sons DA coach an email to get some feedback on sons playing ability. Sadly, we have not been told anything from our coach that he has been contacted. Makes me worried that other coaches may be contacting our club and we aren't hearing about it. Could somebody tell me how their DA players get informed by their club and coach.

Regarding the ECNL teams. You need to get a training session with the particular team. Some age brackets are top level while others are like sn average EDP team. Watch a practice session , go to one of their games, and look at the standings online

Hi all - I have read all the posts on this thread and have learned a lot about youth soccer in this region an in general from all of you. So I have a very specific question that I would love some serious opinions on. Given the choice between a second team spot at Continental FC and a pre-ecnl spot a smaller club which would do you think would be the best place to help 12 year old continue to develop skills? Thanks!

I would take the pre-ecnl team. Even though the team that is playing ecnl is a smaller club, they were good enough to be selected for that ecnl. Also on the club that is playing ecnl your son will be on their top team for that age group, which is probably better than Continental's second team.

Match Fit lost academy status due to poor coaching structure and poor ratings as a club. These scorecards are published by USDA so those are facts that can't be disputed. I'm sure can be found with a quick google search. Since the only change was their DOC leaving and now back as a girls coach, I think you will find the same poor conditions. The family ownership has stayed the same. Chelsea ran away from MF so maybe FC Bucks is the better choice.

3:59 thanks for the response. Where can I find that info? I thought they were a well respected club in nj. New to the area. Are there soccer bios on the coaches? Anything on fc bucks? We were leaning towards Match fit. Thank you for any help with this!

All parents who I know that had or have kids play at match have no complaints. The training is very good and the club has good reputation especially on the girl's side. They are always putting girls on the national team. When my son was there I had no complaints, the coaching was very good and every coach (including owner and DOC) knew every kid by their first name. The only reason my son left, was because he wanted to continue to play academy.

Yes, they did leave the academy on the Boys side, but was just invited back for the Girls academy this year and chose not to accept it.

So if the club is so bad, why would USSDA invited them back to join the girls academy. Look at how many of their teams are winning the state cup, how well the girls are doing in ECNL and how well the boys are doing on club side. Also on the boy's side, they have one of the best college coordinators in NJ.

MF lost their DA status, fact. MF lost their partnership with Chelsea, fact. Winning teams are the remains of the academy players.

Why are we talking about non-academy teams on this page? MF has lots of problems. No fields of their own. Over crowded practice. Nickel and dime you on everything. Overcharged for travel for tournaments. If you really have a daughter on the girls side you know that is the truth.

FC Gottschee, Well done guys. (Sarcasm!!). Word on the street got out that you guys were playing over-age kids, then the league investigated, and now you have lost your remaining games via forfeit. Your teams are breaking up. Coached kicked out of EDP for a few years. The coach, what an A$$hole! In order for this to work, you needed complete collusion among coaches, parents, and even the kids. Parents, shame on you for cheating, you are terrible examples to your children. What lessons have you taught them? Your kids look up to you, what are you teaching them? So you won a few games using older kids, what were you going to gain? Ugh. Danny Almonte all over again.

Not sure what you mean by their academy being affected. FC Gottschee is not an academy team, though they and everyone else just uses the word academy. Academy to me means that you have a comprehensive program spanning the U7 to U18-19 age groups with elite training and competition at the hiring age groups. So using my definition of academy, they are not, not even close.

I guess they have been known for doing this, given the previous response.

I know for the coach who gto suspended, it was obviously all about money. But what else is there to gain by cheating? I just don't get it. Like a Ponzi scheme, in the end, it all comes out. And no one wins!!!!!

BW Gottschee is a USSDA program in NY Metro Division with DA teams from U12-U17/18 so yes they are a "real" academy that also houses clubs teams. Agreed, they don't seem to qualify for the true mean of the word. I think the poster was asking if the cheating affected their actual DA teams, if they were involved somehow, or if was just at the club level which I would assume. Either way, what a disgrace for everyone involved.

Anyone know what's the plan behind Red Bull's Pre-Academy teams this year (2007 and 2008)? They started 3 teams in each age bracket (2 NY and 1 NJ for each age). They had over 500 kids tryout for these teams. Where will they be playing this year? I know there are a lot of kids moving from their current clubs who made the switch to RB's in the fall.

For those who have asked about World Class as a club, Im happy to share my experience, as well as others I know quite well. It is a very large club with a great outdoor complex, multiple fields. I believe they are also building an indoor training facility nearby. The problem with WC is that most of the good coaches eventually leave, many have already. Current coaching staff is VERY mixed as far as quality. It is clearly a $$ driven business. Rosters are always packed with players. Politics plays a strong role in player selection, tryouts, as well as play time. Ive heard from a few parents just recently that even though they brought their kids for tryouts, some never even heard back. Forgive me but if a kid try's out, the club should have the basic courtesy of giving the family at least an answer, be it negative or positive. Other clubs foster a much more family friendly environment and communicate much better with players and family. If a very impersonal, highly unpredictable experience is what you are looking for, with churning and turnover of kids, then WC is the place for you.

Aren't they all developmental? Why go to a club that your daughter doesn't have an opportunity of actually testing her skills against other teams? Sounds like a money grab. Plenty of other good teams around where she may be valued.

Regarding the Developmental Player question, will your son/daughter also have the opportunity to be rostered on a club team there (EDP, NPL)to get regular play time? I know that's what many academy programs do with the DP players. I would also want to know what the roster size is of full time academy players and also how many DP players they are taking on. They can also add them during the year. Best of luck.

I would say yes if you have time for your son/daughter can get carded with another team and play all the time (a small sided or town travel team for example).

Generally the training at PDA is better than most and it can put the player in good position to eventually make the team. It also let's you "try out" the team to see if it is a good fit which is an important factor.

I don't think a youth player has to play all the time but ample play time in games is important to player development. It seems crazy to me when youth coaches, some who call themselves experts in the youth development industry, say only training matters.

I agree with that. I see some teams carry 14 players for a 7V7 (2007-2009). Kids play less than half a game or less. Coaches will always say it's training that matters, but I believe a lot of that has to do with the fact that more kids equal more money for the program. What better answer to give parents but to say training is what matters. That BS! You practice all week you expect to play (assuming your kid is good). That's why I would only play my son in a program that is selective about the players they carry and the best kids play.

May want to go to a team with ECNL for boys. Could provide great opportunities and still play high school, if desired. While ECNL looks like it's going the way of the dinosaur for the girls, it seems to be a great option for the boys.

Agree with above comments. Make sure your kid plays. ECNL might be a great option. Down side is a lot of travel since teams are spread out. Stay away from Match Fit. It's a poorly run organization and charge $3000 for half a year. The have one field for training so they cram 4 teams on one field for training. No goalies during training because they train up north so the practices are poorly run possession drills for an hour. Shame this family run business is run so poorly.

Matchfit charges $3,000 for half a years tuition, so ultimately $6K for the year?? Yikes, how is that justified? I know they were trying for academy status on the boys side but did not have proper facilities and were turned down. I heard the girls may get granted academy status there, but again this is just parents talking.

Match Fit was an academy on the boys side 2 years ago and choose to leave for money reasons (all academies are supposed to be free for the older age groups and because they could not make money there, they chose to leave Academy). Match Fit Girls were offered an academy spot but chose not to take it, which I am sure was also related to money.

MF claimed to have turned it down but the reality is they lost it due to poor score card rating of the club. They allowed them to keep the u14 age for one year. Then after nothing changed, they had status completely taken away from them. I know what they told parents but the truth is they had it taken away.

@10:33, yes waivers can be granted when kids are playing on scholarship. Maybe someone else with more knowledge can comment further. I have also heard of kids playing for their high schools in the Fall and then being added to academy rosters in the spring. My son is not high school age yet so we have no seen that personally. Seems very unfair in my opinion.

Re: 'high school waivers' - Rules vs realityRules - the ussf da website says "Development Academy players for all teams must choose to participate in the Academy full-time and forgo playing for his high school team." under the FAQs it saysCan Academy players participate with non-Academy teams during the season? Full-time Academy players are only permitted to participate on their Academy team, and National Team duty.Which teams participate in 10-month programming and do not allow high school participation? The entire Academy program does not participate in high school programming.http://www.ussoccerda.com/faq

Earlier in its existence, the Boys DA had regulations that provided for a 'waiver' that allowed a player to participate in HS because his enrollment was tied to playing soccer - can't find that now anywhere on website

Reality - The use of Full-time vs 'DP' (developmental players) carding by savvy DA club managers may allow a player to participate in High School in the Fall, then in November, start practicing and playing with a DA team as a DP, converting to a Full Time player in the Spring - check DA rosters in Spring vs Fall and you will note several HS players now on the FT roster - not sure if this practice will migrate to the new girls DA but has been happening in boys side for several years

Waivers are a charade. Saw that Redbulls brought back their high school kids to play in friendlies at PDA this past weekend. If the MLS academies can play loose with the rule, then the non MLS academies should be given more leeway.

This information is not usually published in newspapers but everyone knows that St. benedicts hs team is full of academy players. PDA always sends players back to play on HS teams then they're back on academy teams after hs season. Just compare rosters before and after the fall.

St Benedicts varsity team gets reloaded each year because they have a few kids from Spain, Portugal and Brazil receiving scholarships. They play HS soccer in the fall, then they play on the Cedar Stars Newark EDP team in the spring, not their DA teams. Sometime during this past winter, Cedar Stars had their EDP team play their DA team at Benedicts (field paid for courtesy of George and Co.) and had college coaches attending. I think I was told that the Benedicts team won, but not 100% sure I am recalling that particular detail accurately from my convo.

PDA I think has 4 kids with waivers at Gill St Bernard alone. They go back to their DA team after the high school season is over. Know 1 kid at RB who received scholarship to attend private school, but RB granted no waivers, so he left RB. Cedar Stars Bergen picked him up and gave him a waiver.

Just my speculation, but I would have to think if you were given a "aid package", there would have to be some sort of stipulation that you play soccer at the school.

Have a good long weekend all. JD

In general, using waivers makes it tough because you tend to have large rosters, but not my concern.

I think people are misunderstanding what a waiver is. If you are granted a waiver to play HS you can NOT play DA simultaneously.

For the older group who have already committed to college it is not that big of a deal. Except for the fact that the college would prefer you play at the higher DA level to stay sharp.

For the younger group who are pursuing college it is a really big deal to go on a waiver. You have the chance of loosing your DA spot and not being asked back the following year. Very bad choice to play HS for the younger kids.

There are many players that play for their high schools n the fall (private) all of which are high level programs and then either club/academy in the spring. If a player is provided with the opportunity to attend a private school (financial aid) they should not be excluded from playing for an academy. As for college coaches, they do not care. There are 3 D1 athletes from Peddie that played for Matchfit (club) last year. This whole waiver thing, academy/club is a bunch of nonsense. At the end of the day, it is just a business. Pay for play soccer. I apologize if I am offending anyone but someone needs to help pay the bills. Here is the bottom line, in my opinion. It is about education. Solid grades along with high test scores and if you are fortunate enough,, lots of financial aid. It is difficult enough in today's world especially when my kid after graduating from a top university is working at a part time job.

It doesn't matter what college coaches think, US Soccer made the rule to develop the top soccer athletes in the country. They recognize that HS teams are made up of different levels of players and recognize that the competition isn't always consistent. There are players on academy teams hoping and working to be professional players, especially in MLS academies. The goal of EDP is to send players to college to play so there is no rule about playing in HS, all of them do. Most academy players end up playing in college but college play is plan b for some

The Academy waiver was created to allow players who receive aid (based on athletics) from Private High Schools to be able to play both Academy and High School.

The Waiver was not intended to allow PDA to have their players play High School and try to win a State Championship, which they did not with 4 PDA Academy starters. Let's not forget, they did not win the Union County title either.

My kid does not play for PDA. This communication is not intended to express animosity towards a specific club. Who cares what PDA does or other academies? I agree that public school players pose a credible argument whether they should play academy. Private schools should be exempt as most if not all players receive aid. These kids are fortunate to get quality educations which at the end of the day is what matters most.

Who cares what academies are doing? US soccer and everyone who wants to see world class US soccer teams. Of course education is important but youth soccer academies are meant to produce high quality players. That's their number one job.

Giving waivers only to private school players and not public school is nonsense and probably illegal.

Providing 'financial aid' based on athletics sounds pretty much like an athletic scholarship which most if not all schools claim not to offer. The reality is that the private schools use financial aid packages to recruit the best athletes to their program. And by the way, recruiting athletes is illegal under NJSIAA rules (New Jersey).

The rules are the rules but teams/schools want to have their cake and eat it too.

I see your perspective. What about the students that perform poorly academically in public school and need the attention that private schools provide them with? All schools give financial aid. Every kid plays a sport as they are required to. If a kid happens to try out for their soccer team and makes varsity and then tries out for a club team and impresses them and is needed on their academy team, they should be permitted to play on the academy team with a waiver.

My feeling is that every player should choose HS or academy. There should be no waivers. If kids want to play in HS, there are plenty of good club teams. There comes a time when the best players need to take a different path and have more focused and intense training. Every great athlete in the world makes sacrifices. If a kid gets financial aid at a private school and has to play on their team, they should play on a club team in the spring. The US Mens team needs all the help they can get!

I saw that article. So I know the Girls DA program just got started, but I wonder why they started it in the first place when you have the girls ECNL program doing so well and produceing so many women for the US National team.

Someone said this earlier and it couldn't be more true, in high school soccer, the levels of play vary so much from school to school. My son's freshman team were up so much, they literally played keep away the entire 2nd half. That's 40 minutes of just moving the ball around. That's not fun to watch.

If you are trying to get to the pros or Nat'l team level, you need to be playing DA. Otherwise, I think what you are seeing with kids opting for HS soccer after they get their college commitment, these kids are certainly good players, just not Generation Adidas pro level caliber players right now. They aren't signing a homegrown deal for an MLS club, so why not play HS soccer after you land your college commitment, right? That's what Mason Toye did at Seton Hall Prep last year. He played for PDA, got his scholarship to Indiana, (guessing he got a waiver) then played his senior year at SHP. (Went back to PDA after HS season ended).

On NJ.com, there is a section on the boys HS soccer links showing a rolling blog of club/DA kids joining their HS soccer programs and also HS kids leaving HS soccer for DA.

@5:22, sorry, thought he started. I turned it on halfway through the first half, he was playing and his name was being mentioned fairly frequently. He had some opportunities in front of the net. I don't know if he played the second half (I think he did) or during the 2 OT's. Game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Edited to my post above, I think I actually turned it on about 15 minutes into the first half and Toye was already playing, therefore I assumed he started. It was raining hard, messy game on wet grass.

so here is a question. I am from Dallas Texas. My son is playing in Classic league. the refrees suck!! very arrogant and i actually over heard one of the refs saying if you are FC dallas or Solar or texas we dont care!!. the fees for classic league are outrageous. I wonder how much these clasic league chairmans wioth fancy tittles are getting paid. these seem to be so much corruption at the youth level. WHy is north texas soccer not federated.... it is a buiness just to mkae money and SHAME on the CLasic league board and chairman. It is better to go play in a local league than classic league!!

Secret Service must be everywhere, and they are not hard to spot. I feel for the coaches and players, that must be a weird environment. I am sure there is no media allowed and what about security checks? A lot to ponder there.

I have a son and he's still too young for most places but I think he'll be ready and old enough for his first team next season.

I did some research and talked to people that are a lot more familiar with travel soccer than I am, which is how I heard about TSF, World Class, etc. On one hand, he's young so if we don't find the right place for him at first, it's probably not a huge deal but on the other hand, the cost and time commitment for these teams (even u8) seems high so I want to learn as much as I can before we have to make those decisions.

I gather that the "best" are Cedar Stars, TSF and World Class (PDA is too far for us). The next group appears to be NJ Stallions and Torpedoes. Then there are the town programs, which we'll think about too.

I think that most parents start with their town program first. See how your child likes the sport. I wouldn't want to spend extra money and time until I knew my son loved the sport and was committed to it. TSF is very expensive

I would take your son to any club that’s not too far from where you live. Ask the each program that you would like to bring him in for a player evaluation to get their opinion but also for you to get a feel for the club. I know Cedar Stars Bergen is OK with this so long as you request it. If your son was born in 2009 I would recommend Cedar Stars Academy Bergen.

Too many parents put their child in situations that are above their level. This leads to parents complaining about playing time, favoritism, etc. I'm not saying that is you but its a reality for many player/parents. Your son is young. If he is good enough to play at the higher levels the opportunities will present themselves. Put him in a town team to see if he loves the sport and is willing to put the time in away from practice and games. Only then is it worth spending the money for Cedar Stars or TSF.

So there you have it folks. Are the expensive, big name academies that are supposedly best at "developing" our kids really worth it? My advice would be to keep your kid playing in the town club as long as he's happy and improving. These big academies are just pay to play businesses.

If youd kid is good and serious about Soccer there is no way Town clubs are for them. I know if your kid has what if takes academy clubs will go out of there way for your kid via extra practices, games, training, etc.. I know kids from world class, tsf, Red Bull’s Cedar Stars and I can tell you hands down they work much better than any town team soong as your kid is serious and has talent. Also, town teams tend to play in weaker divisions and tournaments. If your kid is just getting started or not that serious about the sport then keep him on your local town team.

They'll offer you and your kid more. as long as you pay them plenty of money. In other countries, talented players are recognized at a young age and families are given the resources they need for that child to excel. Our academy system needs to change. US Soccer needs to invest more at the youth level.

That free development system is available here in the states. It's the MLS academy system. The reason the u17 and u20's have had success over the senior group is because those players have been cultivated and trained in the academy system. There Daddy's money doesn't matter or if you buy the coach lunch after the game. Union, Red Bulls, and NYCFC are where the best talent is in this area.

At u9, your son can learn the game at a town club level to see if he loves the game. If he puts the effort in on his own, then maybe he's ready for CSA, PDA, or TSF. At that point it will become clear if he belongs at the next level. Believe me they will come to you.

Good luck. Let your son enjoy the sport and have fun watching him. The best soccer players played multiple sports till they were 14 years old. The cream rises, money can't make it happen so just make sure he's having fun.

Red Bull’s RDS program takes any kid and the talent level there is not that good at all. Anyone who follows youth soccer could tell you that. Every kid is different. Some kids love to play more than one sport while others just want to play one. Some kids only want to practice once or twice a week while other kids want to practice 5 days a well. I think for those kids that are serious and want that 5 day a week training then academy is for them. I know that Cedar Stars Bergen goes above and beyond for kids that have talent and are willing and able to put in that extra work.

RDS does not take any kid at any level, they have a tryout before every session. It's a supplementary program where a kid is playing somewhere else as well. If a kid has his heart set on red bulls academy, it's the best way to be seen by red bulls coaches. Cedar Stars has a good programs as well but I think it comes down to personal preference.

Agreed^^ RDS requires a tryout and some locations are more popular and therefore more competitive than others. My son attends RDS at Red Bull training Facility even though it is far from our home. His dad feels it garners the best quality players. Over 50-60 kids tried out in his age group and they only took 12. My son plays DA for another program, this is for us a good supplemental program. My opinion, start your child young if he has talent and love for soccer. It's good for exposure and to get them used to trying out and playing with different kids and coaches. It's not for everyone.

RDS does have tryouts but but 90% of kids trying out are kids coming from town or recreation teams. If a kid has never made it past this tryout then they can forget about ever getting on any of the Red Bull’s teams.

I'm not sure about where you get that 90% statistic, which I disagree with. I know many of the clubs and kids who participate as we have done the program for years and it is definitely not town travel and certainly not rec. Maybe the locations you are familiar with are different but I sense you have a dislike for the program for some reason? I do agree about the Red Bulls teams comment, particularly academy. Doing RDS can help your child get seen but a very small number will make it to academy obviously. It is difficult to make any DA to be fair. It's not the end all, be all, trust me and I have no dog in this fight, pardon the expression..but to say they take "anyone" and 90% are rec level is simply not true.

RDS is a good program. They have grown a lot so it's obvious that parents appreciate it. I've observed several classes over the years and always found the skill level of the players and the coaching to be good. They also keep the player to coach ratio at an acceptable rate which is better than at some other places.

Remember RDS is just a supplemental program, you are better off joining a regular club or another academy and you will get more out of it.

Besides the 3 full-time Academies in NJ (yes only 3 are full-time members RD, PDA and Cedar Stars Monmouth) there are plenty of good clubs out there. Match Fit, SDFC, Stallions, Pasco, Parsippany and etc.. These club are developing a lot of good players.

As a matter of fact, Match Fit's class of 2017 (the 99 Boys) had 18 out of their 22 player roster commit to DI schools. SDFC also had a few players from their class of 2017 commit to DI schools.

Of course, if your kid eventually becomes good enough, Academy is the way to go, but keep in mind there are plenty of good clubs out there where you can get just as good of a training as the academies.

I am pretty familiar with RDS and all the local academies and pre-academies. RDS is a great way for Red Bull’s to recognize you when your young since this is how you make the winter and summer show case teams. It is also how you get invited to tryout for their new fall regional teams. I just know that many parents who have had kids on the showcase and now regional teams choose not to do RDS because of the talent level that’s there. If they are doing it now it’s only because it’s free to current regional team players. Nothing wrong with the program at all, but it’s just not for every kid. Coaching is great and I think they do a great job!

Playing for free means a lot. What parent wouldn't want that? As far as the most competitive, we're talking about 8-12 yr olds. They need to love and learn the game. Then, if they are lucky, they can earn a spot in Redbulls academy, which is free. The problem with US Soccer is pay to play and play to win, starting at 8. I think that's unnecessary. The MLS academies are the real development academies.

Unfortunately, nothing is free. The costs of travelling to practice 4x per week can run into the $1,000's. Many of those kids at Red Bull are driving an hour or more each way. Many are coming from NY and have bridge tolls as well. It really adds up!

Very true. If is not cheap anyway you look at it. Most academies start at $2,200 and some even over $3,000. That’s not even taking into account all the extra training they offer all year round at addional cost

You're still saving money if you're in red bulls academy. Foe example, joining TSF. over $3000 in fees, expensive kit that seems to change yearly, thousands to travel and pay for meals and hotels at tournaments, airfare to go to dallas cup and their pricey summer trips to Europe. You could easily be looking at $10,000.

What is up at Redbulls? First was the HS waivers and now they are playing kids down?!? Yes I know that other clubs 'might' be doing it but they ARE the Redbulls. Maybe they bring down Tyler Adams for a u19 match lol

@9:59 I have also noticed kids playing down on some DA rosters in the '03 age group where '02's are playing.., how is that allowed? What are the rules there? I was very surprised to see that. Is it because the 2002 birth year does not have their own DA teams (they play combined with 2001 at U16/17)?

Yes! Winning is very important to all of these programs, despite what they may say. I would also venture to guess that the Red Bulls, Philly Unions etc. have more pressure on them ie. expectations, since they are who they are...big names in the ussda.

Can we start getting some examples of these comments? Can someone provide the link of the game summary on US Soccer that shows playing down?!? It's easy to provide proof. Same with the HS waiver for RB players. No one provided when asked a couple months ago. Just because you say it doesn't make it so. Provide some proof which is easily available with transparency of game rosters.

All game reports and rosters are listed on the DA website; ussoccerda.com. Click on the club and go to each individual game, click on the game report and they are listed in detail. There's your proof. I don't know anything about the waivers.

We all know where to find the reports. We want you to provide the game report link of a 2002 playing in a 2003 game. We want proof of a HS player who also played HS for RB. Stop skirting the question and copy a link.

Why are you so testy?! Why not go yourself and look up the game reports if you are so interested? I am unable to copy links into here for some reason and I was actually trying to be helpful. It should take you 30 seconds. If everyone knows where to find them, why do you need to ask? The original poster commented it was Red Bulls..hint:look at U14 & U15 Nov 11 vs. Delco. Is that enough detail for you? There are other academies playing down as well and in multiple games, it is obviously allowed via some loophole.

Actually I am telling the truth, why would I lie? There are multiple cases in the game reports...where are you looking? BTW I have no hostility towards RB whatsoever, it's a great program. I am NOT the original poster regarding this either btw. I noticed it with my sons DA club, I had no idea RB was doing it as well until it was brought up on this forum...I found it odd in general as I didn't think that could be allowed, but it is, so fine. Look at the RB U14 and U15 recent game reports roster (not the regular roster, but the GAME REPORT with minutes played), I am not going to give names, it's there in black and white. Last game an '03 played 60 minutes in an '04 game. An '02 played 80 minutes in an '03 game. That's just from this past weekend.

HS season is ending so the players on "waivers" for all the academies are just now coming back. So look at the "add ons" to the rosters i.e. the players with 0 or 1 games played. And yes- RB does it as well.

This is not an attack at RB at all but the simple reality that they want to retain their best and most talented players and win (like most if not all other DAs).

Very few fields compared to the typical turf farm tourney and all events are at one location. There are well over 200 D1 coaches who early registered and like many other tournaments, late comers or un-registered coaches will just show up.

Big win because a large interest by colleges shows that this is where the best talent can be found. Big win because DA, MNTs, and WNTs staff can see that talent all in one place. Big win because it shows that USSF is using the girls and boys DA program to identify players just like they said they would.

I know that only a small few will get "discovered" by USSF so getting on the D1 radar is the gravy for everyone else.

Following the huge disappointment of the us men not qualifying for the world cup, the answer from US Soccer seems to be playing youngsters who have turned professional at a young age, either entering MLS as a home grown player or going to Europe to develop. I'm talking only about the men. The women's team has always been successful with players who have gone through the college system.

The Men's (U23-U17) and Boy's (U16-U14) have improved in the past 10 years since the birth of the DA. Just look at the U20 and U17 MNTs this year!

There are 16 YNTs out there representing the US and numerous other Futsal and Paralympic teams in red, white, and blue.

The Senior Men's team is the exception. I get it. MLS has too much influence and until money/politics no longer determines decision making at USSF, we are stuck in this rut. Just don't paint the boy's men's program all with one brush as the Senior Team.

A ton of great boys and mens soccer out there playing with the USA crest. Too bad the most popular US Mens team with all the TV exposure and funding is the worst of the bunch. Let the kids teams play in their place next time. Teach them a lesson. That is who nocked out the US team anyway, the U-23 team from Trinidad & Tobago...

The USSDA may be improving but they have a long way to go. Another note is that most kids on the US team will go on to college soccer and their development stops there. Not the case with other countries.

Was at the U17 game, stayed for first 25mins. The start could not have been worse giving up a free kick inside the 6yd line. But that aside it was clear the Netherlands were superior technically and tactically. Every kid has fantastic touch and play simply. They use the entire field, sending in far post crosses from anywhere in the offensive end. It was 1-0 when we left and I said to my wife that it would be 4-0 final. We have a ways to go...

I agree that our u17 didn't look good compared to the other international teams. Unlike last year which we looked well matched against the other teams. The only weakness being the defense. This year the US looked unorganized and the midfield was undersized and weaker technically. Watching some of the u17 talent in the Friday, Saturday and Monday games I thought some better choices could have been made with team selection.

With the exception of the YNT the USSDA winter showcase was great. Lot's of good games in front of many DI coaches and national/international scouts.

I don't understand how come there are so many players that go to a showcase of this caliber and don't get any looks. Besides the schools that were already committed to going to see that player (if any) down there, there were some many other schools for a player to woo to their corner. It is sad when I hear parents especially of seniors complaining about not being recruited.

Watched the first half of the game against Holland and the US looked very weak. Players making stupid mistakes, not at all deserving to be members of the YNT. The US needs to hire more scouts and stop the politics when it comes to calling up players. There were some many good players on display during the 5 days playing right in from of them. I totally agree with 3:45 when he said that the Dutch players had fantastic touch.

does anyone know the name of the website that gives complete ranking of all the schools this past season. i am NOT looking for the ncaa or top drawer soccer rank web page. i believe their is another one that begins with an M. Help wanted.

Look out for our tryouts - we are open for registration. We are the most affordable value for money Academy in New Jersey.3 Training events a week in season with all year round teams. Come and play the Liverpool Way

When looking for a club for your child in the future please look at the total picture. For example, we are now training for the spring season. Your club should be training weekly including an organized scrimmage once a week. If they are consistent and you are playing full sided every week as well as training then you have a motivated club. If you scrimmage once a week for two weeks then nothing until the season starts, look elsewhere. The amount of work the coaches and club put in will result in how well you will be ready and fit for the spring season. Look beyond the brochure and now is the time to review your club. Philly Union comes in strong.

Anyone looking for a solid pre-academy in New Jersey I highly recommend Cedar Stars Acadmey. My son (birth year 2009) has been there for about 2 years. He only gets about 5 week down town all year as they have lots of different programs they offer to keep him busy. Team is actually leaving to Spain March 22ed to play in one of the biggest international tournaments in the world. Really looking forward to that.